Trump Deploys California National Guard to Oregon Amid Legal Controversy

Fri Oct 10 2025 14:18:14 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In response to a federal judge blocking the deployment of Oregon's National Guard to Portland, President Trump orders 300 members of the California National Guard to assist. Governor Newsom plans to challenge the deployment in court, calling it an abuse of power.

President Trump has dispatched 300 National Guard troops from California to Oregon after a judge blocked the state's military deployment amidst protests. Governor Gavin Newsom has criticized the move, pledging to fight it legally, while Trump defends his characterization of the cities in question as affected by crime and unrest.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — President Donald Trump is sending 300 California National Guard members to Oregon after a judge blocked the administration from deploying that state’s guard to Portland, according to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Newsom pledged Sunday to fight the move in court.

There was no official announcement from Washington that the California National Guard was being called up and sent to Oregon, just as was the case when Illinois’ governor made a similar announcement Saturday about troops in his state being activated.

Newsom, a Democrat, described the deployment as 'a breathtaking abuse of the law and power.' He criticized the action, saying, 'The commander-in-chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens.' Newsom asserted, 'We will take this fight to court, but the public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless and authoritarian conduct by the president of the United States.'

A Trump-appointed federal judge in Oregon on Saturday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plan to deploy the Oregon National Guard in Portland to protect federal property amid protests. Officials and residents in Oregon expressed disbelief over Trump describing the city as 'war-ravaged.'

U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued her ruling after citing that the protests Oregon had experienced did not warrant the mobilization of federal forces, underlining the potential risks to state sovereignty.

Trump has characterized Portland as a 'war zone,' suggesting various locations require extreme measures to address what he defines as civil unrest. Previously, he ordered the deployment of National Guard units in Chicago to assist federal officers and safeguard federal property amid protests there.